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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELISHA BARTON OUTTEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF ELECTROLYTICALLY PRODUCING POTASSIUM CHLORATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,492, dated August9, 1892.

Application filed April 11, 1892. Serial No. 428,736. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELISHA BARTON CUTTEN, of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods forElectrolytically Producing Potassium Chlorate, of which the following isa specification.

My invention consists in a new method of producing potassium chloratebyelectrolyzing a solution of magnesium chloride in the presence ofpotassium chloride and slaked lime.

My invention further consists in the construction and arrangement of anelectrolytic cell and the disposition of the electrolyte therein so thatwhile potassium chlorate is produced atone electrode magnesium oxide(magnesia) may be produced at the other.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of anelectrolytic cell arranged for carrying my process into effect.

Fig. 2 is a similar section of a modified arrangement of said cell.

I carry my process into elfect in the following manner: In an ordinarycontaining-ves- 15 sel suitable for an electrolytic cell I placeelectrodes, preferably of carbon, but which may be of any other materialsuitable for the purpose, so long as the positive electrode is of asubstance which will not be attacked by 0 the freed chlorine. I place inthe cell as the electrolyte a solution of magnesium chloride. Thesolution may be of a strength of from fifteen to twenty percent. I addto the solution of magnesium chloride a suitable quantity of potassiumchloride (preferably the ordinary muriate of commerce) and slaked lime.The relative quantities are of course determined by the chemicalcombining pro-' portions of the substances, which are known. 40 WVhenthe currentis established, three equiva lents of magnesium chloridebecome convert-- ed into three equivalents of magnesium and sixequivalents of chlorine. The six equivalents of chlorine combine withthree equivalents of slaked lime to produce three equivalents of calciumchloride and three equivalents of oxygen. The three equivalents ofoxygen then combine with the potassium chloride to make potassiumchlorate, (K010 It will be observed that the work of setting free thechlorine from the magnesium chloride is done entirely by electrolyticmeans and in the cell. When it is desired to produce and collect bothpotassium chlorate and magnesia by this process, I arrange the cell sothat the outer containing-vessel maybe of conducting material andconstitute the cathode. I place the anode in a porous cup of earthenwareor any other non-attackable material, and in this porous cup putpotassium chloride, magne sium chloride, and slaked lime. In the outer'vessel is placed a solution of magnesium chloride, so that the porouspartition simply acts as a diaphragm separating the ingredients of theelectrolyte in the manner stated. On electrolysis potassium chlorate isformed around the anode, and when the porous partition is made in theform of a cup it accumulates therein. The magnesia, on the other hand,is

formed on the inner surface of the cathode and may be removed therefromat will. It is necessary to agitate the solution in the porous cup inorder to get the best results.

I claim 1. The method of electrolytically producing potassium chlorate,substantially as hereinbefore described, which consists in electrolyzingmagnesium chloride in the presence of potassium chloride and slakedlime.

2. The method of electrolytically producing potassium chlorate,substantially as hereinbefore described, which consists in electrolyzingmagnesium chloride in the presence of potassium chloride and slaked limeand agitating the electrolyte pending electrolysis.

3. The method of electrolytically producing and collecting magnesia andpotassium chlorate, substantially as hereinbefore described, whichconsists in placing a solution of magnesium chloride in contact with thecathode and potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, and slaked lime incontact with the anode, the said magnesium chloride being separated fromsaid potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, and slaked lime by a porouspartition, and then electrolyzing, whereby potassium chlorate isproduced at the anode and magnesia at the cathode.

ELISHA BARTON OUTTEN.

\Vitnesses r H. R. MOLLER, lVI. BOSCH.

